Digimarc Licenses Image-based Print Encoding Platform to Top German Printer

BEAVERTON, OR—Dec. 15, 2010—Digimarc Corp. has licensed the Digimarc Discover platform to German-based Westdeutsche Verlags und Druckerei GmbH. The agreement lets Westdeutsche deliver new, Digimarc-enabled solutions that connect print readers to a range of rich media experiences such as viewing a video, purchasing a product, launching an application, and more from printed articles and advertisements using the Digimarc Discover mobile application.

Unique to the Digimarc Discover platform is its ability to use various content identification technologies as needed, including the company’s patented digital watermarking technology. Digital watermarks are easily embedded into all forms of media and are imperceptible to human senses, but quickly detected by computers, networks or other digital devices like mobile phones. Using a watermarking solution, publishers do not have to give up valuable space on the printed page or on product packaging; nor does it impact the overall layout or aesthetics of the publication.

“We evaluated a number of technologies before selecting the Digimarc Discover platform because it provides a superior user experience. The publishers we work with like how digital watermarking does not force them to change their page layouts or design, unlike 2D barcodes and QR codes,” stated Ulrich Türk, CEO, Westdeutsche Verlags und Druckerei GmbH.

“Working with Digimarc, we believe we are helping to transform the publishing industry by providing enhanced content from articles, while also providing a significant advantage to advertisers who can now initiate a two-way interaction and increased engagement with targeted consumers,” asserted Türk.

Westdeutsche Verlags und Druckerei GmbH prints 70 magazines, 35 newspapers, and a range of advertisements and free standing inserts for its customers. The company will offer its Print2Web mobile solution, based on the Digimarc Discover platform, to these publishers as a value-added service that allows them to bring together print, Web and mobile initiatives in a way that gives readers access to the content they want on the device they have with them 24/7—their mobile phone.